Eastlands promise: Barcelona's Euro hero Eto'o says
he is ready to join the City revolution
During a meeting in Abu Dhabi with Manchester City's
owners in February, Mark Hughes expressed some concern that he had
not been able to bring in January transfer targets Scott Parker and
Kolo Toure.
The reply from City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak was
unequivocal. 'Don't worry, Mark. I don't think we're going to get
relegated this season, are we?' he said smiling.
'And in the summer we will start to spend some serious
money.'
A genuine move to put his manager's mind at rest? Or an attempt
to fob him off before bringing in another coach at the end of the
season?
Hectic behind-the-scenes activity at Eastlands this week would
appear to confirm that Khaldoon' s intentions were indeed
honourable.
First, Gareth Barry. Next Carlos Tevez. And then Samuel Eto'o.
And Joleon Lescott. And Xabi Alonso. And others.
Having prevaricated over the exact scale of their spending this
summer, City's Arab owners have decided it is now kitchen-sink
time. The richest club in the world will spend big this summer -
and quickly.
Impressive: City beat Liverpool to the signature of
Gareth Barry
If Barry's £12million capture from Aston Villa this week
was impressive in the manner in which it blew a hole through
Liverpool's plans, traditionally a bigger club, then what owner
Sheik Mansour, chairman Khaldoon and manager Hughes also have
planned could change the face of the Barclays Premier League in one
summer.
And of all the above players, it is the proposed capture of
Eto'o that would be the most remarkable. Signing Robinho from Real
Madrid last August was one thing. The player had become unhappy in
Spain.
But to take Eto'o from Barcelona just two weeks after the
28-year-old Cameroon centre forward scored one of the goals that
won the Champions League would be quite another.
Eto'o is, by all accounts, tempted to leave the Spanish treble
winners for a club that finished 10th in the Premier League last
season. As astonishing as it sounds, Eto'o has verbally agreed to
join City, while Barcelona have indicated they will do business for
a fee upwards of £20m.
Eto'o, Tevez, Robinho. To harness all three would be a statement
of intent. Suffice to say, Valeri Bojinov, Felipe Caicedo and
Benjani would struggle to get in the team. Hughes was given the
go-ahead to pursue the players he wants at another meeting in Abu
Dhabi last week and the way that he wishes his squad to develop is
now clear.
Head boys: Lionel Messi watches Carlos Tevez during
a training session in Buenos Aires
Having endured a difficult first year trying to bring
some reluctant players and staff around to his own way of thinking,
the City manager intends to jettison those he cannot convert
and bring in those looking to buy in to a long-term
philosophy.
The £25m-rated Tevez has indicated to City he is keen to leave
behind what he sees as an ego-driven dressing room at neighbouring
Manchester United and apply his selfless, energetic style to a team
who appreciate or 'need' him a little more.
At only 25, Tevez is the perfect age for Hughes, a coach who
wants most of his first team be three or four years either side of
that. Everton's £15m defender Lescott is 26, for example, Barry and
Eto'o are 28 while Alonso and long-term target David Villa, of
Valencia, are 27. City's interest in midfielder Alonso may surprise
many, given the signing of Barry. But City's pursuit of the £20m
Spaniard is ongoing, even if they do not anticipate Liverpool
selling him.
All in all, we can expect City's work in the transfer
market to be quick, dramatic and clinical. Hughes wants his
new-look team to be together by the time City leave on a tour of
South Africa in mid-July.
He has also indicated privately that he anticipates to be under
enormous pressure next season. A source commented: 'If we lose the
very first game then the whole thing will get ramped up again.'
With this in mind, Hughes wants his squad to be built by him and
in his own image by the time the season starts. He knows a slow
start could cost him a job he would ideally like to keep for the
next decade. We can, therefore, expect a number of players to leave
between now and August - perhaps as many as a dozen.
Some out-of-contract players have already departed but Hughes is
determined to ditch the Brazilian Elano, who might possibly head
for Italy, while the club will look to loan out striker Jo again -
in all likelihood he will go to Spain - and will not stand in the
way of captain Richard Dunne if Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp
hardens up his interest after trying to take the player to
Portsmouth last summer.
As for Robinho, Hughes tolerated his off-field baggage and his
woeful away form last season but, as revealed by Sportsmail in
February, would consider selling him if a reasonable offer came in.
This, too, has been run past chairman Khaldoon.
Hughes wants players who care and who are scared of being
dropped if they do not perform. All of a sudden, missing out on
Parker in January no longer looks so important.
